The Army Training System - AskTOP

Rifle DrillsRifle drills are suitable activities forfitness training while bivouacking orduring extended time in the field. Inmost situations, the time consumed indrawing weapons makes this activitycumbersome for garrison use. However,it is a good conditioning activity,and the use of individual weapons intraining fosters a warrior’s spirit.There are four rifle-drill exercisesthat develop the upper body. They arenumbered in a set pattern. The mainmuscle groups strengthened by rifledrills are those of the arms, shoulders,and back.Rifle drill is a fast-moving methodof exercising that soldiers can do in aslittle as 15 minutes. With imagination,the number of steps and/or rifle exercisescan be expanded beyond thosedescribed here.EXERCISE PROGRESSIONThe rifle-drill exercise normallybegins with six repetitions and increasesby one repetition for each threeperiods of exercise. This rate continuesuntil soldiers can do 12 repetitions.However, the number of repetitionscan be adjusted as the soldiers improve.In exercises that start from the rifledownwardposition, on the command“Move,” soldiers execute port arms andassume the starting position. At theend of the exercise, the command toreturn soldiers to attention is “Positionof attention, move.”In exercises that end in other thanthe rifle-downward position, soldiersassume that position before executingport arms and order arms.These movements are done withoutcommand and need not be precise.Effective rifle exercises are strenuousenough to tire the arms. When thearms are tired, moving them withprecision is difficult.RIFLE DRILL EXERCISESThe following exercises are for usein rifle drills.Up and ForwardThis is a four-count exercise doneat a fast cadence. (See Figure 8-12.)Fore-Up, SquatThis is a four-count exercise doneat a moderate cadence. (See Figure8-13.)Fore-Up, Behind BackThis is a four-count exercise doneat a moderate cadence. (See Figure 8-14.)Fore-Up, Back BendThis is a four-count exercise done atmoderate cadence. (See Figure 8- 15.)Figure 8-128-11